Dr. Claro N. Mingala, scientist II at the biosafety and environment unit of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), was bestowed the Gregorio Y. Zara award-applied science research category for being an outstanding veterinary practitioner in veterinary research during the International Conference on Science & Technology (S&T) Education and 64th Annual Convention of the Philippine Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology (PHILAAST) held on September 10-11 in Manila.
The Gregorio Y. Zara awards for Basic Science Research and for Applied Science Research were established by the Zara Family and PhilAAST in 1968 to honor one of the most outstanding National Scientists of the Philippines and to serve as inspiration for Filipino scientists and researchers.
Mingala’s field of specialization is on the management of infectious diseases in ruminants, particularly in water buffaloes.
He was conferred the rank of scientist II under the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Scientific Career System. He is currently the chief for the PCC-based Livestock Biotechnology Center at the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija. He is also an Affiliate Faculty of the Institute of Graduate Studies, Department of Animal Science, Central Luzon State University (CLSU) in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija and Adjunct Faculty of the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of the Philippines- Los Baños.
He was recognized as the 2014 Most Outstanding Veterinary Practitioner in the Veterinary Research Practice of the Veterinary Practitioners Association of the Philippines (VPAP). In 2014 and 2013 he was awarded with the Distinguished Service Award during the 101st and 100th Anniversary Celebration of the Science City of Muñoz. The Philippine Society of Animal Science- Bounty Agro Ventures, Inc. awarded Mingala the 2012 Distinguished Researcher in Veterinary Medicine.
Mingala has conducted numerous researches on the management of infectious diseases. His researches focused on the following: characterization, assessment, microbiology and molecular epidemiology of infectious diseases, such as the Trypanosomiasis, Mastitis, Cryptosporidiosis and other viral diseases affecting water buffaloes.
His on-going researches under PCC and CLSU collaboration include Epidemiological survey of fasciolosis in water buffaloes in the PCC-assisted dairy cooperatives in the agency’s National Impact Zone (NIZ) and anti-microbial resistant bacterial strains.
Mingala is currently involved in continuing collaboration with researches on the epidemiological surveys of bovine and porcine infectious diseases in Kyoritsu, Japan; characterization of non-TB mycobacterium isolates from water buffaloes and of public health importance, and molecular-epidemiological evaluation of leptospirosis in water buffaloes and its risk to public health, both at the Research Center for Zoonosis Control, Japan.
